Birkenbog House

Probably 1730-40 wing of earlier mansion/tower house

apparently re-modelled 1795-1800 as principal dwelling after

fire. 2-storey, 5-bay house incorporating drumtower of

earlier dwelling at rear and walled garden; free standing

2-storey range at right angles to main house.

HOUSE: harled rubble, some ashlar dressings. Centre entrance

with moulded doorpiece under re-used (1693) armorial;

rectangular fanlight with decorative glazing and original

glass; double-leaf door, the present flush facing probably

masking panlling. Slightly irregular window pattern;

single window each side of doorway, 5 1st floor windows.

Irregular rear fenestration with one 1st floor window

blocked (originally lighting former parlour) and new ground

floor window. 2-storey circular drum tower at SE angle

incorporated from earlier (? tower) house. Mainly 12-pane

glazing, 9-pane in drum tower. Coped end and rear wallhead

stacks; Banffshire slate roof.

Later single storey, 2-bay kitchen wing at N gable.

INTERIOR: centre staircase in semi-circular stairwell with

plain wooden balustrade; ground and 1st floor rooms served

by long front corridors; former parlour at N (now divided)

with circa 1820 white marble chimneypiece with reeded

panelling and anthemion decoration. Simple moulded ceiling

cornice survives in corridor; raised and fielded panelled

doors and window shutters. Ground floor passage with mural

cupboard with panelled doors.

WALLED GARDEN: substantial rear rubble walled garden linked

to rear house with brick lined S aspect. Entrances each

side of house and in centre of S wall, pedestrian entrance

to garden flanking N gable of house closed with re-used

studded plank door with blacksmith wrought-iron handle and

heart shaped brackets.

OUTSIDE RANGE OF BUILDINGS: mainly 2-storey range at right

angles to house on N side of garden. Of varying builds

dating from circa 1800 or earlier. Rubble, some harling.

Centre, earliest building is 3-bay house with tooled ashlar

margins. Blocked 1st floor centre window; 16-pane glazing in

surviving 1st floor windows, varied glazing elsewhere.

Single storey former detached kitchen abuts E gable of house;

2-storey, 2-bay gig house continuous at W gable with

brick-faced segmental-headed gig house entrance and 2

1st floor windows.

Coped end stacks; Banffshire slate roofs throughout.

GATEPIERS: pair low square rubble gatepiers with shaped caps.